ECON 125:Economic Development, Microfinance, and Social Networks

An introduction to the study of the financial lives of households in less developed countries, focusing on savings, credit, informal insurance, the expansion of microfinance, and social networks. Prerequisites-
Econ 51 and 102B

EDUC 377C:Philanthropy: Strategy, Innovation and Social Change

Appropriate for any student driven to effect positive social change from either the for-profit or nonprofit sector, Philanthropy will challenge students to expand their own strategic thinking about philanthropic aspiration and action. In recent decades, philanthropy has become an industry in itself - amounting to over $358 billion in the year 2014. Additionally, the last decade has seen unprecedented innovation in both philanthropy and social value creation. This course explores the key operational and strategic distinctions between traditional philanthropic entities, such as community foundations, private foundations and corporate foundations; and innovative models, including funding intermediaries, open-source platforms, technology-driven philanthropies, impact investing and venture philanthropy. Course work will include readings and case discussions that encourage students to analyze both domestic and global philanthropic strategies as they relate to foundation mission, grantmaking,
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Appropriate for any student driven to effect positive social change from either the for-profit or nonprofit sector, Philanthropy will challenge students to expand their own strategic thinking about philanthropic aspiration and action. In recent decades, philanthropy has become an industry in itself - amounting to over $358 billion in the year 2014. Additionally, the last decade has seen unprecedented innovation in both philanthropy and social value creation. This course explores the key operational and strategic distinctions between traditional philanthropic entities, such as community foundations, private foundations and corporate foundations; and innovative models, including funding intermediaries, open-source platforms, technology-driven philanthropies, impact investing and venture philanthropy. Course work will include readings and case discussions that encourage students to analyze both domestic and global philanthropic strategies as they relate to foundation mission, grantmaking, evaluation, financial management, infrastructure, knowledge management, policy change and board governance. Guest speakers will consist of high profile philanthropists, foundation presidents, social entrepreneurs and Silicon Valley business leaders creating new philanthropic models. The course will also provide students with real-world grantmaking experience in completing nonprofit organizational assessments and making grants to organizations totaling $20,000.

GSBGEN 305:Investing for Good

Investing for Good will introduce students to the entire spectrum of purposeful, values-driven, and impact investing. We examine the field from the perspective of an institutional investor (i.e. fund manager, investment advisor, endowment manager, head of a family office, etc). Our goal is to have students emerge with a practical and analytical framework for: 1. evaluating impact and mission-aligned investments across multiple asset classes and sectors; 2. constructing a portfolio using impact as a lens; 3. designing an impact investment company; and 4. understanding the many practical and theoretical challenges confronting this exciting emerging field.nnWe start by exploring some fundamental questions: what is a purposeful or impact investment; can impact investments be defined along a spectrum between conventional investing and philanthropy; whose money is it; what are the constraints and opportunities; how do we (re)define return and/or performance. We briefly analyze impact investi
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Investing for Good will introduce students to the entire spectrum of purposeful, values-driven, and impact investing. We examine the field from the perspective of an institutional investor (i.e. fund manager, investment advisor, endowment manager, head of a family office, etc). Our goal is to have students emerge with a practical and analytical framework for: 1. evaluating impact and mission-aligned investments across multiple asset classes and sectors; 2. constructing a portfolio using impact as a lens; 3. designing an impact investment company; and 4. understanding the many practical and theoretical challenges confronting this exciting emerging field.nnWe start by exploring some fundamental questions: what is a purposeful or impact investment; can impact investments be defined along a spectrum between conventional investing and philanthropy; whose money is it; what are the constraints and opportunities; how do we (re)define return and/or performance. We briefly analyze impact investing in the context of modern portfolio theory. We then develop a framework for portfolio construction and evaluation across four criteria: risk, return, liquidity, and impact. Through a combination of class dialogues, role plays, and case discussions, we will explore a wide variety of asset classes, impact themes, and investment challenges. A series of team-based investment committee simulations will comprise a significant portion of the course and will provide a significant experiential learning experience.nnPrevious experience in finance, investing, social enterprise, entrepreneurship, or philanthropy is not required, but both helpful and welcomed. While first year students are encouraged to enroll, students who have limited familiarity with the basics of investing and corporate finance are strongly encouraged to purchase David Swensen's "Pioneering Portfolio Management" and cover the recommended chapters in advance of the course. It's is also important to note that this class will require financial modeling and detailed investment analysis.nnMany of the issues we'll be tackling have no unambiguous answers. Lively discussion and debate will be necessary and expected.

GSBGEN 319:Strategic Philanthropy and Impact Investing

The course will be structured around the perspective of a high net worth individual who has decided to devote substantial resources to philanthropy and wishes to decide which philanthropic goals to pursue and how best to achieve them. Although there are no formal prerequisites for the course, we will assume that students have experience working at a foundation, nonprofit organization, impact investing fund, or similar organization, or have taken an introductory course in strategic philanthropy such as
GSBGEN 381. (There is sufficient overlap with Paul Brest's Autumn course, Measuring and Improving the Impact of Social Enterprises (
GSBGEN 322), that students taking that course should not enroll in this one.) nnWe will explore selected topics including: nn- the roles of the philanthropic and nonprofit sectors in society;n- choosing philanthropic goals, and whether giving to the poor is morally obligatory ;n- the justifications for tax-subsidized philanthropy;n- alternative legal and or
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The course will be structured around the perspective of a high net worth individual who has decided to devote substantial resources to philanthropy and wishes to decide which philanthropic goals to pursue and how best to achieve them. Although there are no formal prerequisites for the course, we will assume that students have experience working at a foundation, nonprofit organization, impact investing fund, or similar organization, or have taken an introductory course in strategic philanthropy such as
GSBGEN 381. (There is sufficient overlap with Paul Brest's Autumn course, Measuring and Improving the Impact of Social Enterprises (
GSBGEN 322), that students taking that course should not enroll in this one.) nnWe will explore selected topics including: nn- the roles of the philanthropic and nonprofit sectors in society;n- choosing philanthropic goals, and whether giving to the poor is morally obligatory ;n- the justifications for tax-subsidized philanthropy;n- alternative legal and organizational structures to carry out philanthropic programs, including donor-advised funds, direct giving, foundations;n- whether foundations should exist in perpetuity or spend down over a finite number of years;n- fundamentals of nonprofit strategy;n- designing performance metrics (KPIs) and measuring philanthropic impact;n- barriers to the practice of strategic philanthropy;n- fundamentals of investment management for pools of philanthropic capital;n- socially motivated criteria for investing, including PRIs, MRIs, SRIs, and negative screens;n- impact investing and investor-funded pay for success programs.

GSBGEN 367:Problem Solving for Social Change

GSB graduates will play important roles in solving many of today's and tomorrow's major societal problems - such as improving educational and health outcomes, conserving energy, and reducing global poverty - which call for actions by nonprofit, business, and hybrid organizations as well as governments. nnThis course teaches skills and bodies of knowledge relevant to these roles through problems and case studies drawn from nonprofit organizations, for-profit social enterprises, and governments, as well as novel financing mechanisms like impact investments and social impact bonds. Topics include designing, implementing, scaling, and evaluating social strategies; systems thinking; decision making under risk; psychological biases that adversely affect people's decisions; methods for influencing individuals' and organization's behavior, ranging from incentives and penalties to "nudges;" and human-centered design. Students who have encountered some of these topics in other courses are likely to gain new perspectives and encounter new challenges in applying them to solving social problems.

GSBGEN 381:Philanthropy: Strategy, Innovation and Social Change

Appropriate for any student driven to effect positive social change from either the for-profit or nonprofit sector, Philanthropy will challenge students to expand their own strategic thinking about philanthropic aspiration and action. In recent decades, philanthropy has become an industry in itself - amounting to over $358 billion in the year 2014. Additionally, the last decade has seen unprecedented innovation in both philanthropy and social value creation. This course explores the key operational and strategic distinctions between traditional philanthropic entities, such as community foundations, private foundations and corporate foundations; and innovative models, including funding intermediaries, open-source platforms, technology-driven philanthropies, impact investing and venture philanthropy. Course work will include readings and case discussions that encourage students to analyze both domestic and global philanthropic strategies as they relate to foundation mission, grantmaking,
more »

Appropriate for any student driven to effect positive social change from either the for-profit or nonprofit sector, Philanthropy will challenge students to expand their own strategic thinking about philanthropic aspiration and action. In recent decades, philanthropy has become an industry in itself - amounting to over $358 billion in the year 2014. Additionally, the last decade has seen unprecedented innovation in both philanthropy and social value creation. This course explores the key operational and strategic distinctions between traditional philanthropic entities, such as community foundations, private foundations and corporate foundations; and innovative models, including funding intermediaries, open-source platforms, technology-driven philanthropies, impact investing and venture philanthropy. Course work will include readings and case discussions that encourage students to analyze both domestic and global philanthropic strategies as they relate to foundation mission, grantmaking, evaluation, financial management, infrastructure, knowledge management, policy change and board governance. Guest speakers will consist of high profile philanthropists, foundation presidents, social entrepreneurs and Silicon Valley business leaders creating new philanthropic models. The course will also provide students with real-world grantmaking experience in completing nonprofit organizational assessments and making grants to organizations totaling $20,000.nn

What is the basis of private action for the public good? How are charitable dollars distributed and what role do nonprofit organizations and philanthropic dollars play in a modern democracy? In the ¿Philanthropy Lab¿ component of the course, students will award $100,000 in grants to local nonprofits. Students will explore how nonprofit organizations operate domestically and globally as well as the historical development and modern structure of civil society and philanthropy. Readings in political philosophy, history, political sociology, and public policy. WIM for PoliSci students who enroll in
PoliSci 236S.

STRAMGT 584:Assessing High Impact Business Models in Emerging Markets

In recent years, we've seen an explosion of innovative business models blazing new trails in emerging markets. Many of these models are achieving commercial success while transforming the lives of low-income populations. Using nine cases of both early-stage, entrepreneur-led ventures and later-stage, public or large-cap firms, this course will examine best practices for scaling new enterprises in emerging markets. It will do so primarily through the lens of a potential investor. It will also explore what is required to spark, nurture and scale entire sectors that serve rapidly growing, often low-income markets. What does it mean to work in markets with limited infrastructure? What common mistakes are made - whether in business model design, in supply chains, or in dealing with government - and how can we avoid them? Which are the best business models to serve markets that corporations have traditionally ignored, and in which government has failed to deliver? Who might be threatened by
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In recent years, we've seen an explosion of innovative business models blazing new trails in emerging markets. Many of these models are achieving commercial success while transforming the lives of low-income populations. Using nine cases of both early-stage, entrepreneur-led ventures and later-stage, public or large-cap firms, this course will examine best practices for scaling new enterprises in emerging markets. It will do so primarily through the lens of a potential investor. It will also explore what is required to spark, nurture and scale entire sectors that serve rapidly growing, often low-income markets. What does it mean to work in markets with limited infrastructure? What common mistakes are made - whether in business model design, in supply chains, or in dealing with government - and how can we avoid them? Which are the best business models to serve markets that corporations have traditionally ignored, and in which government has failed to deliver? Who might be threatened by the success of these new businesses? The seminar is a good match for Stanford students interested in working or investing in emerging markets. It will be taught by Matt Bannick, who leads Omidyar Network (a $1 billion impact investing fund) and is the former President of eBay International and of PayPal.